SATURDAY'S SCORES
@Kennesaw State 61,
Tennessee Tech 60
@Arkansas State 76,
Little Rock 67
KENNESAW STATE 61, TENNESSEE TECH 60
KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State had a 10-point lead with just under 3:54 remaining in the game, but Tennessee Tech rallied back to take the lead. However, the host Owls retook the lead with 18 seconds remaining and the Golden Eagles saw two last-ditch attempts to hit the game-winning shot come up short as the hosts avoided the defeat on Saturday with a 61-60 win in favor of KSU.
The Golden Eagles went on an 11-0 run over 1:20 – LaReesha Cawthorn hit a layup at 3:37, then Chloe Larry took the ball on a bad pass, nailed a 3-pointer on the opposite end and drew a foul to make it a four-point play at the 3:00 mark.
Cam Mathews stole the ball away and drew a foul, knocking down both shots at the line with 2:48 remaining. Another KSU turnover at 2:27 led to another Larry 3-pointer to give Tech the 60-59 lead with 2:17 remaining.
Neither team scored for nearly two minutes, then KSU's Trynce Taylor hit a layup with 18 seconds remaining to put the Owls back up 61-60, drawing a foul on the shot. The free throw was no good and Reagan Hurst claimed the loose ball.
With the shot clock off, Tech had a chance to close out the game with the final shot. Reghan Grimes tried a jumper with five seconds left, but the shot missed and she grabbed her own board and attempted a tip-in. The shot wouldn't go and TaTianna Stovall grabbed the rebound as the clock ran out.
Grimes led the Golden Eagles (3-1) with 16 points, while Larry had 11 and Amaya Redd scored 10 points with seven rebounds. Cawthorn led Tech with nine rebounds, while scoring eight points.
Kayarah Berry led all scorers with 20 points to pace KSU (3-1), while Taylor had 17 points and nine rebounds and Kaelyn Flowers had 11 points and five assists.
ARKANSAS STATE 76, LITTLE ROCK 67
JONESBORO, Ark. - Little Rock (1-2) battled to the end in its first road game as they fell 76-67 to Arkansas State (2-2) in Jonesboro.
Jordan Holman led the Trojans with 16 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes of play. Destinee Salgado gave a season high 12 points off the bench on 6-8 shooting and four rebounds. Lidia Belmonte Hurtado also had a season high 7 points off the bench.
The first quarter opened with both teams struggling for control, as turnovers and missed opportunities marked the early minutes. The Trojans then edged ahead in the latter part of the quarter, highlighted by Jordan Holman's efficiency at the free-throw line, securing a 16-11 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Little Rock then controlled long stretches of the game, building a 56-52 lead heading into the fourth behind a 24-point third quarter. Destinee Salgado sparked the run with back-to-back layups, while Pearson McVay, Alaina Payne, and Jordan Holman consistently attacked inside.
The Trojans had a season high 42 points in the paint and forced 27 turnovers, both of which are good signs heading into the season.